


Buried Deep

by cricketss



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Blind Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), F/F, Feelings, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Romance Violet/Save Louis Route (Walking Dead), violet centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 22:16:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18352796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cricketss/pseuds/cricketss
Summary: Clementine could probably tell because she started talking again. Trying to calm down her breathing, telling her it's fine, telling her it’s ok. Pointless comfort words that didn’t really mean anything, because nothing was actually ok. It sort of worked, mostly because Violet was willing to believe anything Clementine told her........................................................................Violet doesn't feel very good about the future now that she can't see anymore.





	Buried Deep

Violet remained silent as Clementine changed her bandages, cleaning up the wounds again and checking how it was healing. Ruby would typically do it, but Clementine still felt guilty over what happened and insisted on helping her instead. She felt conflicted about it. On the one hand, she was touched, and having Clementine this close to her face did not bother her in the slightest.

 

On the other hand, each second she knew Clementine was looking at her, studying her face, especially under her bandages, the pit in her stomach grew bigger and bigger. There was a question, maybe even a fear that she had in her mind ever since that explosion. It ate at her, made her pay extra attention whenever she turned her head towards someone, made her try very hard to not accidentally touch her face. Nobody said it. But she knew.

 

But she didn’t know the exact extent of the damage. And she felt like she would go crazy if she didn’t find out. Her eye darted around, and she swallowed, gathering up the courage to ask the question.

 

“How bad is it?“ she whispered, eye drifting to the floor. Not like she could actually see it or make eye contact with Clementine. But old habits die hard. She felt Clementine’s hands stop fussing with her bandages, and a sudden stillness filled the room.

 

Silence.

 

She should’ve known. Surprisingly, despite their state, her eyes still stung. But she wasn’t going to cry in front of Clementine. Not over this.

 

She wanted to make some joke. Say something funny about being ugly and make Clementine laugh and change the subject, move on from the question, pretend like she never asked it, like she didn’t actually care. But she couldn’t. Her throat closed up, and her mind couldn’t come up with anything. The air in the room become heavier as she didn’t say anything, as Clementine didn’t say anything. It only made her more desperate to break the silence, but she couldn’t. How did Louis do it?

 

And then it became too much. It suffocated Violet, it made her heart race and forced her to come face to face with every thought that she had ever since the cage door closed behind her that she tried so hard to bury down and not think about it, not pay attention to it, pretend like it wasn’t actually real.

 

But Clementine’s silence made it real. Her hesitation showed how serious it was. It forced her to face the fact that this was the reality, and she would have to live with what happened forever. She couldn’t see. She couldn’t help the group in any way anymore, and she would forever be a leech. If it ever came to there not being enough food left for all of them, she would be the first one to go. It was the most logical option. Even if it never came to that, she would always be an inconvenience. She hated being an inconvenience. She would always need someone by her side and would always get in their way. If they were ever attacked, if they ever had to run, if anything bad would ever happen, she would die. She always expected to die, in a world like this, but now it felt more real than ever. She was surprised at how much that scared her.

 

She didn’t realize she was shaking until a soft hand gripped her shoulder and tried to steady her. “H-Hey, breathe, Violet” ah, Clementine. Violet almost forgot she was there. She lifted her head to try and see her. She couldn’t distinguish anything more than a vague shape that was, most likely, Clementine. Looking into her eyes always calmed her and made her feel safe, or more nervous, depending on the situation. Now she couldn’t do that anymore.

 

Clementine could probably tell because she started talking again. Trying to get her to calm down her breathing, telling her it was fine, telling her it was ok. Pointless comfort words that didn’t really mean anything, because nothing was actually ok. It sort of worked, mostly because Violet was willing to believe anything Clementine told her.

 

“Are you alright?” Clementine asked once she calmed down. Her voice was so soft and sweet. Violet didn’t think she ever adored it as much as she did now.

 

“I’ll be fine. Eventually.” She hoped so.

 

Clementine brushed her knuckles against her cheek. Her fingers were cold, but Violet still melted at the touch. It was so small, but it meant so much to her. Not to mention, that part was under her eye, scabbed almost entirely. She remembered the question that had brought them here in the first place.

 

She felt Clementine’s eyes on her. She could tell that she was looking at her, even though she couldn’t see it. So she tried to look at where she guessed Clementine’s eyes probably were. Maybe she was spot on, and Clementine had a momentary shock at how uncannily well she locked eyes with her. Or maybe she was way off, and Clementine had a small chuckle in her head at how ridiculous she looked. She would never know.

 

“I’m so, so glad you’re alive. I-I was so scared I lost you on that boat. I felt like a million boulders were lifted off my heart when I saw you on the shore.” Clementine’s voice dripped with emotion and relief. The words meant a lot to Violet. Still, she opened her mouth to protest but was shut down pretty quickly. “I know this sucks. But we’ll learn to adapt to it. You’re strong, Violet, that’s how you survived this far. And you’ll survive this too. I know you will. I promise.” she slid her hand in Violet’s and intertwined their fingers.

 

Violet looked to the side, biting her lip. “That’s not a promise you can make. Y-Your leg…. You can barely protect yourself,” she stated, matter-of-factly.

 

Clementine paused at that. “Well, then I guess neither of us is the fierce survivor we once were. Good thing we don’t have to be anymore. We can rely on the group.”

 

“You can rely on the group,” she shot back. “You’re still valuable. You have the knowledge about surviving and the experience, and you can still help us. You’re worth protecting. Can’t say that much about myself,” she sighed, a strange hollowness filled her chest with each word that passed her lips.

 

“Violet, no-”

 

“It’s true,” she cut her off. Now that she had begun, she couldn’t find the means to stop. All the thoughts that she had ignored, brushed off and buried until now had accumulated and they demanded to be let out, cascading out of her. “You saved everyone from that boat. And I didn’t even lift a finger to help you, even though I could’ve. I tried my hardest to stop you, actually. I was so wrapped up in my own shit that I couldn’t even think about anything or anyone else. What if I succeeded? We would all be soldiers now, and it would be my fault. And then I had to be a fucking idiot and follow M-Minnie to the boiler room. Huh, guess now I reap the consequences of my own stupidity.” she looked around the room as if searching for something. “You’re a hero, Clementine,” she said. “Me? I’m just a disaster.”

 

Clementine’s hand tightened around hers. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and soft. “You’re their friend, Violet. Nobody blames you for what you did. I certainly don’t. And no one’s going to leave anyone behind. Everybody would miss you if you were gone.” Clementine’s expression was so pained and concerned that if Violet could see it, she would feel guilty.

 

“I… I’d like to believe that. I want that to be true,” she said, her voice uncertain and a little strained.

 

Clementine gripped her hand tighter. “It is,” she said. “I’m just so glad you’re here, with me. And I’m not gonna risk losing you again.” After a pause in which Violet tried to process her words, she spoke again. “I try my best not to make the same mistake twice.”

 

Violet swallowed. She squeezed Clementine’s hand back as she let her words sink in. “Well, in this world that would probably get you killed pretty quickly,” she commented, and when Clementine’s laugh filled her ears, she decided that was her favorite sound. She joined in, wanting to bask in the carelessness of the moment for just a little, feel like the world was not crashing down around her for just a little.

 

The arms that engulfed her were unexpected but more than welcome. They held her tight, tighter than any other as if she was going to disappear if they let her go. She buried her face in the crook of Clementine’s neck, and she felt, maybe for just a second, like the two of them were the only ones in the world. Like if she just stayed like this, nothing could hurt her, ever.

 

She never wanted to let go. And it seemed like Clementine had the same idea because they didn’t part for a long time. Not moving, not saying anything, just holding each other. God knows they both needed to be held.

 

After a while, Violet pulled away. Clementine’s face glowed with love, and she tucked a stray hair behind Violet’s ear.

 

“You still have the most beautiful smile,” she whispered.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic in a long, long time and I feel like it's kinda weird but I might as well get it over with and post it  
> I like the conversation they had in the game, but I don't feel like it was enough and Violet gets over her trauma too fast  
> I'm not exactly happy with this either but it's something


End file.
